Improvement in coffin-handles



T. c.- mpmnns. UOFFIN-HANDLE.

Patented Nov.16,187 5.

a y a Wmwsas %;4M %N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMASG. RICHARDS, OF WEST WINSTED, CONNECTICUT IMPROVEMENT INCOFFlN-HANDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 169,922, datedNovember 16, 1875; application filed April 26, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS C. RICHARDS, ofWest Winsted, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain Improvements i-nOoffin-Handles; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part ofthis specification.

My invention consists in a novel construction of the bar of the handle,whereby simplicity, cheapness, lightness, strength, and durability areobtained.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion ofa'handle constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudiualsectional view. Figs. 3 and at are transverse sections.

A represents one of the arms of the handle, having a ring at the outerend for engagement with the bar, and a pivot, a, at the inner end forattachment to the plate. The bar of the handle is composed of a metaltube, B, and a wooden core, (J. The tube B is constructed with alock-seam, b, such as is commonly employed in various branches ofmetalworking to join two edges of sheet-metal, the projecting portion ofthe seam being on the inner side of the tube, so as to leave the outersurface smooth.

The wood used for the core (3 may be of any suitable kind which willgive the requisite degree of lightness, strength, and solidity to thebar. On the surface of the core is a 1011- gitudinal groove, 0, for thereception of the seam b when the tube and core are placed together. Thecore is inserted in the tube B, which is then submitted 'toa drawingprocess in a suitable machine, by which the diameter of the bar isreduced, not only by compressing the metal of the tube, but also bycompressing the wood of the core.

the tube and the core are closely and firmly united to each other, andthe requisite degree of solidity is imparted to the bar.

By this construction Iain enabled to use a thin piece of metal, and toproduce a lighter By this means and stronger bar than one made entirelyof metal, and thereby to greatly reduce the cost of manufacture.Moreover, as the metal is used principally on account of the facilitywith which it may be polished or plated, I am ena- I into. meltedasphalt or other suitable waterproof substance, by which means the woodis sea-led andrendered impervious to moisture, so as to prevent theexpansion thereof by'the absorption of moisture into the pores.

The tip for giving an ornamental finish to the end of the bar iscomposed of a head, E, on a nail, F. The head may be of any suitableform to give an ornamental appearance to the tip, and the base may haveits edge e constructed to surround or overlap the end of the bar, so asto conceal and protect the substance used for sealing the wood. It isattached to the bar by driving the nail F into the wood, as shown inFig. 3, and the head E constitutes the ornamenal tip.

The base of the head E may be constructed to fit even with the end ofthe bar when it is not found necessary or desirable to make it overlapthe end of said bar. I What I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- 1. Acoflin-handle having its bar composed of alockseamed tube and a wooden core, upon which said tube is drawn in sucha manner as to compress the wood, substantially as herein described.

2. The bar composed of a metal tube and wooden core, having the ends ofthe wood sealed and rendered impervious to moisture by means of awater-proof substance or composition, substantially as and for thepurpose herein described.

T. O. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

HENRY '1. BROWN, BENJAMIN W. HOFFMAN.

